What is OI?

OI, or Outreach and Inclusivity is a parameter of NIRF that aims at reflecting upon the demographic diversity in the institute, the inclusivity various groups receive and mechanisms in place to enhance the outreach to generally underrepresented groups such as women, marginalized communities, ethnic or regional minorities, physically challenged individuals, and those subject to economic and social limitations. OI carries 100 marks in the NIRF marking and has various sub-parameters, which attempt at providing separate attention to all the aforementioned groups. 

IITs across the nation have a significant strength of students from states other than the home state and from abroad. International students need to be provided an inclusive environment where they do not feel isolated from their Indian peers. The proportion of female students and female faculty in IITs, especially in administrative posts have always been notoriously low, compared to the male population. Economically and socially challenged groups such as SC, ST and OBC form a significant fraction of the student community and it is highly necessary to ensure that physically challenged students have necessary provisions in place so as to prevent their challenges from being a hindrance to academic improvement. The sub-parameters of OI look at all these questions and are as follows:

• Regional Diversity (RD) - 30 marks

RD is based on numbers of students from other states and international locations, to determine the diversity within the student community.

• Women Diversity (WD) - 25 marks

This is mainly based on the percentage of female students and female faculty in senior administrative posts like HoDs, Deans, Directors, etc. The ideal expectation to score maximum WD is 50% women students, 20% women faculty and 2 women in senior administrative positions. 

• Economically and Socially Challenged Students (ESCS) - 25 marks

ESCS looks at the percentage of marginalized students, and students receiving fee reimbursements and should ideally be 50%.

• Physically Challenged Students (PCS) - 20 marks

Any institute can score maximum in PCS if all facilities for the physically challenged are available, accessible and maintained well by it.

All top 7 IITs have a perfect 20 marks in PCS in the NIRF 2022 rankings.

IIT Madras has a highly active Global Engagement Council that looks into the outreach towards international students in regular programs and semester exchanges. Regional groups of various parts of India are active throughout the year and organize activities for the entire student community during regional festivals and other occasions. IIT Madras has a robust Women’s Forum with mentorships like STEWARD for research scholars, POSH programme and C-CASH to curb sexual harassment, discussions and initiatives for women’s health and well-being and more. A small yet significant fraction of socially and economically challenged students receive fee reimbursements from the institute and other entities, in addition to various scholarships, which are notified from time to time. According to the NIRF data, almost 80% of buildings in the institute are accessible by physically challenged students and provisions like lifts and ramps are available in the Central library, hostels, departments and messes. Accessible toilets and transport facilities are also provided and maintained by the institute.

The overall OI scores of IITs are as follows:

IIT Madras has an OI score comparable to IITs topping the scores, and this is a significant indicator of the outreach of the institute to different sections of students, and fostering an inclusive environment for all within the institute.